We’ve all seen how stupid security has gotten. And most of us have had to go through some intrusive, outrageous procedures in the name of security. So why aren’t we secure? Security expert Bruce Schneier calls it “security theater,” feel-good measures which give the appearance of doing something, but are ineffective at best, and tyrannical at worst.

Now Privacy International is looking for the world’s dumbest “security” measures.

Announcing the Stupid Security Awards for 2006, human rights watchdog Privacy International will highlight the dumbest security measures found the world over. Director Simon Davies cited “innumerable” security initiatives which qualify under Schneier’s security theater definition: pointless, intrusive, annoying and self-serving. Did I mention pointless?

“The situation has become ridiculous,” said Mr. Davies. “Security has become the smokescreen for incompetent and robotic managers the world over.”

Unworkable security practices and illusory security measures do nothing to help issues of real public concern. They only hinder the public, intrude unnecessarily into our private lives and often reduce us to the status of cattle.

The airline industry is the most prominent offender, but it is not alone. Consider the UK rail company that banned train-spotters on the grounds of security. Or the security desk of a US office building that complained because paramedics rushing to attend a heart-attack victim had failed to sign-in. Or the metro company that installed a $20,000 biological weapons/gas detector and placed it openly next to a power plug so terrorists could conveniently unplug the device. — Privacy International

This will be the second such competition; the group held a similar one in 2003.

Anyone can submit nominations for the awards through October 31.

I suspect there will be a very large showing from the U.S. and the United Kingdom this year.